Study Abroad
Authorization and Advising
Students interested in study abroad must first consult the International Studies Office (ISO) in Minor Hall. All Study Abroad must be authorized by the ISO. Students must also confer with their faculty advisor, their major department director of undergraduate programs. or the departmental study abroad advisor BEFORE SELECTING A PROGRAM. Students should also confer with their Association Dean.
Eligibility
To study abroad, students must be in good Academic Standing, that is, not on Academic Warning or suspended. Students on Academic Warning may not apply to study abroad without petitioning their association dean for approval. Further, to earn degree credit while abroad, students must have a cumulative GPA at U.Va. of no less than 2.5 at the point of application OR a 2.5 cumulative GPA at the end of the term prior to the commencement of study abroad. Failure to have the minimum 2.5 U.Va. GPA will prevent transferring study abroad credit or counting direct study abroad credit.
Before leaving for study abroad, students must enroll for their first semester and at least one additional semester at the University in Charlottesville and complete here no fewer than thirty credits. Thus new students, either first-year or transfer, may apply for study abroad only after they have matriculated in a regular fall or spring semester at U.Va.Students planning to study abroad in their second semester should carefully consider the possibility that they may not achieve the required 2.5 U.Va. gpa in their first term and thus be ineligible to apply study abroad credit toward their degree.
Students on Academic Warning are not eligible to apply for study abroad; students who incur an academic warning in the semester prior to the start of a fall or spring semester study abroad program may not earn degree credit abroad during the fall or spring semester. These standards apply both to direct study programs and the traditional study abroad programs under auspices of another institution or organization. Participation in the University’s direct study programs is on a competitive basis; Undergraduate Program Directors may establish additional criteria beyond minimum cumulative GPA for admission.
With approval of the student’s Association Dean and the major advisor, students may study abroad in their seventh or even eighth semester. In doing so students accept the risk of not graduating on time if their grades, for any reason, are not received by the deadline set by the College Registrar.
Earning Credits from Foreign Institutions
Study abroad credit will be accepted toward the U.Va. degree only from U.Va. direct credit programs, or by transfer credit from accredited degree-granting colleges and universities or programs approved in advance by their major department, by the Dean's office in the College, and by the International Studies Office.
In U.Va. direct credit programs, students enroll in U.Va. courses, receive grades, and meet area requirements (and may to a limited degree, complete major requirements). We encourage students to enroll in the University’s direct credit programs because of the close collaboration between the University and the host institution. Courses from U.Va. direct credit programs are recorded on the U.Va. transcript with a specific identifier in the course’s mnemonic.
In transfer credit programs, students enroll in programs sponsored by other institutions. Grades do not transfer, although courses must be passed with a C or higher for credit to be considered. Credit from transfer credit study abroad programs may NOT be used to fulfill College area or competency requirements, with the exception of the foreign language requirement which may be fulfilled with approved course work in a country where the language is native. Students must seek permission from the department to transfer credit for the major or minor
We strongly encourage students to select Study Abroad transfer-credit programs from those approved by their department and listed on the on-line database of programs maintained by theInternational Studies Office. Students in the College may transfer elective credits from programs approved by the ISO and also listed at Transfer Credit Equivalencies for Select Study Abroad Programs without the need to seek approval for each course from departments. Students who select accredited programs NOT on the ISO list of approved programs must obtain approval of the program from the International Studies Office, from their major department, and from the Dean's office in the College. Then students must obtain approval for courses from these programs from the appropriate College departments (for major or minor credit) and from the Dean's office in the College (for elective credit).
A maximum of 60 non-U.Va. credits from other universities, foreign study (the University’s direct study programs exempted), advanced placement, or dual enrollment may count toward the 120 credits needed for the B.A. or B.S. degree in the College.
Students should confer with their Association Dean in the College for more information.
Requirement to Maintain Good Academic Standing While Studying Abroad
Students enrolled in direct U.Va. credit programs are expected to meet the College’s longstanding criteria for good Academic Standing. Failure to do so will result in the academic sanctions of Academic Warning or Suspension. Students participating in semester- or year-long direct U.Va. credit Study Abroad programs (not summer programs) are, like their full time counterparts in Charlottesville, expected to complete at least 12.0 credits each semester in some combination of program and host-institution course work. At least 9.0 credits must be from the direct U.Va. credit program. The remainder of the credits may be transfer credits from the affiliated foreign institution. Whether on direct study programs or other approved programs, students who enroll in 12 or more credit hours in a semester use one of the eight semesters of full time study they are allotted (transfer students proportionally fewer than eight, as determined upon matriculation).
